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Chronology of Islam in America (2005)
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
December 2005
CAIR launches Patriot Act blog
Dec. 1: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today launched a "blog," or Internet journal, focusing on the negative civil liberties impact of the USA Patriot Act currently up for renewal in Congress.
CAIR's blog, located at http://cairpatriotact.blogspot.com/, offers information about the unsupervised domestic surveillance powers contained in the legislation and suggests ways in which voters can express their concerns to elected officials. It will be updated daily with new information. (CAIR Bulletin)
Dr. Sami Al-Arian acquitted on terror charges
Dec. 6: In a major defeat for prosecution, Dr. Sami Al-Arian, former University of South Florida computer engineering professor, was acquitted today of charges related to terrorism, including conspiring to maim and murder people in Israel. Dr. Sami Al-Arian, a fiery advocate for Palestinian causes, was found not guilty of eight charges related to terrorist support, perjury and immigration violations. The jury, in Federal District Court in Tampa, Fla., deadlocked on the remaining nine counts against him. Jurors, who deliberated for 13 days, returned no guilty verdicts against the three other defendants Sameeh Hammoudeh Ghassan Zayed Ballut and Hatem Naji Fariz,. The trial, which lasted more than five months, hinged on the question of whether Dr. Al-Arian's years of work in the Tampa area in support of Palestinian independence had crossed the threshold from protected free speech and political advocacy to illegal support for terrorists. Prosecutors, in a case built over 10 years, relied on some 20,000 hours of taped conversations culled from wiretaps of conversations involving Dr. Al-Arian and his associates. Officials charged that he had helped finance and direct terror attacks in Israel, Gaza Strip and the West Bank from the cover of his faculty position as a computer engineering teacher at the University of South Florida. But the jury found him not guilty of conspiring to kill people overseas (Israel), and deadlocked on three of the other most serious terrorism charges against him. Dr. Al-Arian was considered one of the most important terrorist figures to be brought to trial in the United States since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. His indictment in 2003 was hailed by then-Attorney General John Ashcroft as one of the first triumphs of the Patriot Act, which was enacted in the weeks after Sept. 11. (Media Reports)
Senate keeping Muslim inquiry open despite announcing its end
Dec. 8: A U.S. Senate committee is pressing ahead in its two-year-old investigation of 25 Muslim groups despite a statement last month that nothing "alarming" had been found in tax records to tie them to terrorism. The Senate Finance Committee began its probe of the Muslim groups, including the Plainfield-based Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), with a December 2003 request that the Internal Revenue Service provide confidential tax documents submitted by the groups. It was looking for evidence that the groups had financially supported terrorist groups. Last month, Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Republican Finance Committee chairman from Iowa, announced the probe had ended. In a written statement, Grassley said, "We did not find anything alarming enough that required additional follow-up beyond what law enforcement agencies are already doing." But Grassley's committee issued a new statement this week saying its lack of action does not mean the groups had been "cleared." The committee, the statement said, "will continue to gather information and examine the operations of the charities." (Indianapolis Star)
OH: Muslim charity calls for fairness inquiry found no link to terrorism
Dec. 8: A board member of a Toledo-based Muslim charity said that a Senate panel's two-year investigation into possible terrorist links, which ended recently with no allegations of wrongdoing, was "reminiscent of the McCarthy era." Jihad Smaili, a Toledo native and Cleveland lawyer, said at a news conference in KindHearts' West Toledo offices that the U.S. Senate Finance Committee made a public announcement in 2003 that it was investigating 25 U.S. Muslim groups, but never announced that it ended the inquiry two weeks ago with no evidence of wrongdoing. In the meantime, some potential KindHearts donors were scared off by the investigation and the charity's reputation was hurt by "false allegations" and "guilt by association," Mr. Smaili said. When the Senate committee announced its investigation in 2003, Mr. Smaili said he wrote to the chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa), and to each panel member inviting them to tour KindHearts' Toledo offices and to examine the charity's books. But he never received a response.
(Toledo Blade)
30,000 fliers seek watch-list removal
Dec. 8: Nearly 30,000 airline passengers in the past year asked the Homeland Security Department to remove their names from terrorist watch lists, and all but about 60 were successful, Transportation Security Administration officials said. None of the passengers listed was ever prevented from flying, but some were selected for additional screening ranging from questioning to strip searches, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials said. Marcia Hofmann, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center's open-government project, said the number of passengers asking to be delisted is "greater than anybody anticipated," and shows "the watch-list process doesn't work the way it is supposed to." Miss Hofmann said Jim Kennedy, TSA's chief of staff, Tuesday disclosed the 30,000 figure for the first time when addressing a public advisory board and said 60 applicants had been denied redress. The number of names on the no-fly list and watch lists are classified. (The Washington Times)
NC: Judge dismisses lawsuit involving courtroom oaths
Dec. 8: A judge in North Carolina today dismissed a lawsuit prompted by outcry over the inability of Muslims to be sworn in Guilford County courts using the Quran, a lawyer in the case said. In throwing out the case, Superior Court Judge Donald L. Smith decided that no controversy existed because the plaintiff was still able to affirm she could truthfully testify despite not being allowed to swear on the Quran, attorney Seth Cohen said. The plaintiffs in the case were the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Greensboro Muslim Syidah Mateen. The defendant was the state of North Carolina because the plaintiffs were asking to clarify a state law referring to someone laying his hands on the "Holy Scriptures."
Guilford Senior Resident Superior Court Judge W. Douglas Albright and Guilford Chief District Court Judge Joseph E. Turner believed an oath on the Quran is not a legal oath based on their interpretation of that law.
In the suit, Mateen alleged she had appeared as a witness in a 2003 court hearing but was not allowed to take an oath on the Quran as she preferred. (News Record)
CAIR Applauds Senate Defeat of Patriot Act Extension
Dec. 12: The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a prominent national Islamic civil rights and advocacy group, today applauded the U.S. Senate's vote to reject reauthorizing several provisions of the USA Patriot Act because of civil liberties concerns. By a vote of 52 to 47, Senate supporters of the act were unable to obtain the 60 votes necessary to overcome a threatened filibuster. Several controversial provisions of the Patriot Act were due to expire at the end of this month. (CAIR News Bulletin)
Ashraf al-Jailani deported to Yemen
Dec. 13: Ashraf al-Jailani, a resident of Kent, Ohio, was deported to his native Yemen. Al-Jailani, 42, gave up his fight of more than three years to stay in the country last week after the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia denied his request for an emergency stay of his deportation order. Al-Jailani had been detained after being picked up in October 2002, when the government accused him of plotting to blow up GOJO Industries, where al-Jailani worked. The government's terror case was rejected by every court that heard it. He was deported because of a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. (The Beacon Journal)
New study shows changing evangelical views on Islam since 9/11
Dec. 14: After the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the U.S., evangelical leaders--from Franklin Graham to Jerry Vines of the Southern Baptist Convention-- emerged as the strongest critics and even antagonists of Islam. Numerous surveys have likewise found evangelicals in general to have more negative views on Islam than other Americans. This rhetoric is reflected in evangelical books and articles that have been published in the last decade, but particularly since 9/11. .A new study by Richard Cimino, editor of Religion Watch newsletter, finds that this discourse sheds as much light on how evangelicals view the challenges of pluralism and relativism in American society as it does about their views on Islam. The study, entitled, “No God In Common: American Evangelical Discourse on Islam After 9/11,” is published in the December issue of the Review of Religious Research. Through conducting an analysis of popular evangelical books published before and after 9/11, the study finds that most of the post-9/11 literature draws sharper distinctions between Islam and Christianity, as well as asserting that Islam is essentially violent. (Religion Watch)
U.S. government releases new guidelines for nonprofit organizations
Dec. 15: The U.S. Department of Treasury today released new guidelines to help nonprofit groups prevent their charitable funds from unwittingly being used to support terrorists. The new guidelines, which are voluntary standards for foundations and charities to follow, replace ones Treasury issued three years ago, to much criticism. InterAction, the Council on Foundations, and other associations that represent nonprofit groups objected to the department's suggested rules, saying they would stifle international philanthropic efforts. The protests prompted Treasury to meet with nonprofit officials to discuss their concerns, but the agency has insisted that guidelines are necessary to prevent violent acts. While the new guidelines in many parts closely resemble the original rules, they include several additions and changes. Nonprofit officials praised the department for reworking the guidelines, but said the agency did not go far enough to assuage their worries. (The Chronicle of Philanthropy)
Advertising firm will not post racist billboards in North Carolina
Dec. 15: The Arab American Institute (AAI) and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) announces that Lamar Advertising, has decided it will not post the extremely negative and misleading billboard ads for the Coalition for a Secure Driver’s License. The company was initially set to post the ads in North Carolina. In a statement today, Lamar Advertising said that they, “flatly rejected this image and any other message that would be of a discriminatory nature…We can assure you that there will be no discriminating content on any of Lamar Advertising’s billboards for this or any other advertiser.” The billboards, which contained extremely negative and racist images of Arabs and Arab cultural symbols, misleadingly utilize false stereotypes and racist rhetoric to push an anti-immigrant agenda. (Arab American Institute)
Civil rights groups question FBI interrogation of Muslim student
Dec. 15: Area civil rights groups are angry after a Muslim Elk Grove (CA) high school student was taken out of class and questioned by FBI agents over three letters (PLO) he scrawled on his binder two years ago.
Calvine High School student Munir Raseh, 16, said he was pulled out of class on September 27 and questioned by two men who identified themselves as FBI agents. Raseh said the men asked him about a 2003 incident, when a math teacher at another school reprimanded the teen for writing the letters "PLO" on his binder. "Basically, the teacher said he saw the PLO and said it was a terrorist organization and that the people that run it are all terrorists," Raseh said. "I was shocked," Raseh said. "I was born in California. I'm an American citizen." Raseh believes his math teacher contacted the FBI about the incident. Representatives of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights and the Sacramento Valley office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations asked why school officials allowed the questioning without notifying the teen's parents. (Media report)
Florida school OKs Muslim holiday
Dec. 15: Terrace Community School has became the first public school in Hillsborough County (Florida) to give students a day off for the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. During their monthly meeting, board members for the charter school approved the 2006-07 school calendar, which includes a day off for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. About 5 percent of the school's 352 students are Muslim. (Tampa Tribune)
CA: Muslim conference frustrated by airport security
Dec. 17: Muslim leaders who gathered in Long Beach, California, today to discuss their role in combating extremism within the Islamic community complained that two scheduled speakers missed the event after being detained at Los Angeles International Airport. “People are upset,” said Salam Al-Marayati of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, which organized the conference. “On one hand the U.S. government is asking us to do more, but on the other they are preventing us from doing our work.” British citizens Mockbul Ali and Waqqas Khan had arrived on a flight from London at 4 p.m., local time, but only cleared customs after 8 p.m., said Erin Robertson, a spokeswoman for the British Consulate-General in Los Angeles. (The Globe & Mail)
Praised as beacon, Boston mosque project stalls amid rancor
Dec. 18: Boston's new Mosque and Cultural Center was meant to be a beacon of tolerance, a symbol of understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. Instead, the unfinished red-brick shell at Roxbury Crossing has become just the opposite. Conceived before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and blessed by the city, the mosque has been beset by challenges. A Mission Hill man is suing the city, alleging that the land deal that got the project underway was unfair. Others have accused officials of the Cambridge-based Islamic Society of Boston, which is building the mosque, of sympathizing with Islamic extremists. The accusations have battered the project. Donations have slowed to a trickle and Islamic society officials blame the allegations of extremism, which they have vehemently denied, for deterring benefactors. Mosque supporters say the harm done goes beyond bricks and mortar, that the rancor surrounding the project has deepened suspicions between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Roxbury site has become a setting for conflicts that extend far outside the neighborhood, into issues of constitutional rights, Middle East politics, and national security. (Boston Globe)
Leaders decry Ohio mosque complex blasts
Dec. 22: Cincinnati mayor, the Roman Catholic archbishop and a rabbi were among the religious and civic leaders who stood together Wednesday to denounce the bombing of the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, Ohio. Two explosive devices inflicted minor damage to the entrances of adjoining mosques tonight, about two hours after prayers had ended. No one was injured. "We're all here in solidarity to speak out against this despicable act," Mayor Mark Mallory said. "From a community standpoint, we need to make it clear that this type of criminal activity will not be tolerated." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Islamic scholar denied entry into U.S.
Dec. 23: A Canadian Islamic teacher scheduled to speak at an upcoming Houston conference was barred entry to the United States. Yahya Ibrahim arrived at the Detroit airport, where an immigration inspector denied him entry. He was scheduled to speak at the Texas Dawah Convention, an annual event for Muslims expected to attract 4,000 participants from across the country. The government confirmed that Ibrahim was denied entry, but refused to say why. Officials with the Council on American-Islamic Relations said the scholar told them he was detained for five hours and given no reason for being refused entry. Kaleem Siddiqui, a spokesman for the council's Houston office, said the organization was contacting congressmen and other authorities for an explanation. (Houston Chronicle)
Mosque designs modified
Dec. 31: Without the 85-foot minarets that caused some controversy, a new $1.5 million mosque will break ground this spring, said Hytham Bakr, a member of the board of directors of the Islamic Society of Sarasota and Bradenton, Pennsylvania. The building, which will be built toward the rear of the 2-acre property, will be no more than 40 feet tall including its dome, said Bakr, whose Sarasota engineering firm, The Bakr Group, is the mosque's project management firm. Originally, the mosque's leaders submitted plans to Sarasota County for a 62-foot tall building, including dome, and two 85-feet minarets, Bakr said. But Sarasota County ruled that the building too greatly exceeded the county's height restriction of 35 feet and approved a maximum height of 40 feet. (Bradenton Herald)
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